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a full return to democracy before giving a positive response, expecting Burma to rapidly transition to full democracy is an impossible vision, just as initial U.S. expectations of rapid transition in post-war Iraq and Afghanistan have been. Within Burma, a struggle between reformists and hardliners is inevitable and most likely on-going now. By waiting, the United States will miss the opportunity to support the reformists, shape and assist the transition, and help the Burmese people develop the necessary institutions for full democracy. Engagement, specifically U.S.- hosted educational programs, should be a key aspect of U.S. strategy. As Carol Atkinson of Vanderbilt University recently found through her research, U.S.-hosted exchange programs can play an important role in the diffusion of liberal values and practices across the borders of authoritarian states. Engagement is also a hedged strategyit both assists and supports the development of the necessary civil society values and institutions for future democracy, and it implants the seed of democracy and human rights should governments regress into authoritarian rule. As Atkinson notes, engaging potential political elite from authoritarian states, rather than excluding them from programs, provides an opportunity to channel liberal ideas into some of the most democratically austere regions of the world. The United States now has an opportunity to expose and socialize the next generation of Burmas leaders with international norms through engagement. In adopting this path, the United States should have clear expectations about the obstacles along the way. The Burmese governments policies on human rights, its relations with Burmas various ethnic constituencies, and its possible nuclear ambitions are still very troubling. Engagement should initially be designed to empower the reformists within the government and civil organizations. And the United States should seek to consult and coordinate our response with the other member nations of ASEAN, India, and the European Union as it implements engagement. With intelligently designed and effectively managed engagement, the United States can mitigate the risks, support its values and interests, and assist the Burmese people. By continuing to ignore and isolate Burma, the United States will allow the Chinese to have all the access, influence, and leverage in Burma that they desire. The United States will miss the opportunity to shape Burma positively ahead of its likely key role in ASEAN. And the United States will fail to recognize the positive steps that the regime is taking towards democratization. Engagement through U.S.sponsored educational exchanges, coupled with political dialogue with the key stakeholders, offers the United States the right tool now to assist Burmas effective transition to democracy or maintain the light of freedom should the hardliners temporarily stall Burmas budding political, economic and social reforms.
Col. Michael.R. Lwin, U.S. Army, is a military professor at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.